


risk

by lowkeyamen



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 21:13:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16048664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lowkeyamen/pseuds/lowkeyamen
Summary: Sicheng finds himself inexplicably drawn to a tiny man with a gun.





	risk

**Author's Note:**

> just a tiny bit of tattoo based fluff bc why not

"I brought you coffee."

 

Taeyong smiled to himself as a boy with fluffy raven hair bounced into his studio with two cups in hand. This was becoming an almost daily occurrence. 

"Whatcha doin'?"

"Drawing."

Sicheng rolled his eyes. No shit. 

"Drawing what?"

"Something for a client."

Sicheng sighed. Taeyong had the conversational range of a table leg. The two of them were complete opposites. Sicheng was bright and bubbly and giggly and never shut up, whereas Taeyong was more reserved, didn't really speak unless he had to. 

But his skin was the complete opposite; covered in intricate script and colourful murals of everything from Hannya masks to foxes to this one cute little cupcake he had on his ankle that was apparently a drunken mistake. 

Whereas Sicheng's skin was completely blank, almost mirroring Taeyong's personality. Just kind of...nothing. They seemed to reflect each other in a way. Maybe that's why Sicheng was so drawn to someone so...vapid when he himself was so vivid. 

Especially considering he had absolutely no interest in getting a tattoo himself, yet he had spent almost every evening at Taeyong's studio after he finished uni for the past two months. 

He couldn't even really remember how it came to this. His friend, Jaehyun, had forced him to come along and hold his hand when he decided to get a tattoo on his eighteenth birthday. Sicheng couldn't think of anything worse. A tiny needle stabbing into your skin over and over just to mark it for life. But, Jaehyun was into that shit, and promised he'd tag along. 

He was pretty sure he was more nervous than Jaehyun was. This entire place just...intimidated him. The walls were covered with almost demonic looking drawings of skulls and grim reapers and wolves. There were pictures of terrifying Mafia-esque men covered head to toe in ink. The studio seemed so...unwelcoming. Why did Jaehyun choose here of all places? 

"Hey, I have an appointment with Taeyong." 

Taeyong? Jaehyun's tattoo artist was called Taeyong? That was about the least aggressive name Sicheng could think of. 

It made him laugh a little actually, not aloud, no, of course not. He wasn't that rude. But the idea of someone appearing from behind the scenes that looked like one of those guys on the wall – 6ft tall, pure muscle, maybe a couple of teeth missing from a bar fight or something – being called Taeyong, literally one letter away from being named after the sun, was amusing to say the least. But, he didn't fancy getting his head caved in, so he kept that thought to himself.

"Jaehyun, right?"

Sicheng's jaw practically dropped as a tiny blonde with baby blue eyes and the most ethereal face he'd ever seen appeared behind the desk. Was- Was that Taeyong?

Sicheng seemed to lose the ability to speak as Jaehyun lay down on his stomach, shirt discarded to reveal his upper back. He didn't even flinch as the gun started up, didn't make any smart-ass remark as Jaehyun squeezed his hand, didn't look away as the needle delved into his best friend's skin, as blood began to rise. Because he wasn't even looking at the tattoo, didn't even seem to register what was going on – he was too busy staring at Taeyong.

Sicheng was fairly sheltered, to say the least. He came from a pretty wealthy family, went to a private school, only mingled with a certain type of people. He didn't really know people that had tattoos or piercings or that listened to rap music like what was playing in the background of the studio. No, his parents would never let him associate with people like that, they had warned him off of them, almost made him scared of them.

But…he was completely captivated by Taeyong. He didn't look like any of the people his parents described. He wasn't scruffy or scary looking or lacking in morals. No, he was quite the opposite. Platinum blonde hair complimented his fair skin perfectly, dark eyelashes fanned out against high cheekbones, tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth as he concentrated on the intricate details of the koi carp he was etching into Jaehyun's skin.

His neck and arms were covered in ink, but they weren't the full greyscale sleeves he was used to seeing, the ones that seemed to be trendy right now, but rather a load of separate tattoos that seemed to have nothing to do with each other but were connected by a similar style and colour scheme. He found that intriguing – he didn't know many people with tattoos, or much about them, but he had never really seen anything like Taeyong's before. Thick black lines, block colours of bright reds, yellows and turquoise. Sicheng later learned that this was a more traditional style of tattooing, common among American sailors dating back to the 1800s, and the reason Taeyong chose to stick to such a limited number of colours was because he liked the authentic look - there were nowhere near as many shades of ink back then as there were today. Before meeting Taeyong he honestly had no idea the art of tattooing has such a rich history.

He didn't really like tattoos back then, honestly, he found full sleeves pretty depressing and off-putting. They all kind of looked the same to him and he was pretty sure anyone that got one was sure to regret it when they were older. But Taeyong's…they were different. He actually couldn't stop looking at them.

"It's kinda hard to concentrate when you're staring at me like that, kid."

That was the first time Taeyong had spoken, voluntarily anyway. He had gone through all the 'this is probably going to hurt but try not to move' stuff with Jaehyun earlier, but he had been silent ever since. He didn't even bother looking up, knowing fine well Sicheng's eyes would still be on him and the dark-haired boy would no doubt be flushing furiously by now.

He smiled to himself as Sicheng squeaked out a small 'sorry'.

Cute.

It was only a week later when Sicheng came back, hesitantly pushing the door open to Taeyong's studio. The blonde looked up from his phone as the bell tinkled, alerting him a customer had just walked in. He was just about to close up.

"Oh, hi. You fancy something of your own now?"

Sicheng's felt his cheeks heat up at the fact Taeyong recognised him. He may have been stalking the artist on Instagram and knew fine well how popular he was. He must tattoo up to a hundred people a week, yet he remembered one of his client's friends.

"I-uh- Yeah." Sicheng spluttered out. That wasn't why he was here at all. The last thing he wanted as a tattoo, he just felt drawn to this place. He just found himself back here somehow. He had to see Taeyong again. "Yeah, I do."

Taeyong suppressed a smirk. "Of?"

"Uh-" Sicheng faltered. This was stupid. He couldn't just make some split-second decision to go along with the lie because this would be on his body for life. But he couldn't very well just back out because then he'd look like a total idiot. His eyes flickered around the room for inspiration. There were hundreds of things to choose from, but none of them exactly appealed to him.

"You need help deciding?"

"Y-yeah. Yeah, I'm not really sure."

"How about you come by tomorrow and we'll try and figure something out?"

So, he did.

And he had been coming back almost every day for the past eight months.

Taeyong stretched. His back ached from hunching over at work, but he still had more to do. The studio may be closed for the night, but he had a couple of designs that needed finishing for clients coming in tomorrow morning.

He leaned up against the door frame, smiling to himself as the papers on his dining table rustled, as Sicheng thumbed through them. He had no idea when the younger began staying over, but he wasn't exactly complaining. He kind of brightened the place up.

"This one's pretty." Sicheng mused, fingers ghosting over the delicate shading of a ship. Taeyong's art had changed direction lately, he seemed to enjoy doing more intricate, subtle pieces than big bold ones these days. He liked it. They seemed to represent who Taeyong really was behind that standoffish front he put on. The soft side that only Sicheng got to see. Maybe that’s why he liked them so much, it almost felt like Taeyong was drawing for him, for them.

"It would look good on you." Taeyong settled himself down in Sicheng's lap, plucking the paper from the younger's hand only to place it against his sternum. "Right here."  

Sicheng rolled his eyes, Taeyong was still intent on tattooing him. But he still wasn't completely sold on the idea.

"Or not." Sicheng smiled, pushing Taeyong's arm lightly, urging him to put the paper back on the table so it wouldn't get damaged. He would rather not have Taeyong staying up all night re-doing illustrations because they accidentally messed them up. He had better things planned.

"Do you have any idea how good you'd look covered in ink?"

"Are you saying I don't look good without?"

Taeyong scoffed, Sicheng always managed to turn this around on him.

"Of course not." Taeyong pressed a soft kiss to the tip of Sicheng's nose. "I'm just saying, maybe some art would enhance how hot you already are."

Taeyong stood, making Sicheng whine at the loss of warmth in his lap. He much preferred watching Taeyong draw from over his shoulder, when the blonde was perched on his knee. But the timbre of his whine soon changed as Taeyong lifted his shirt over his head, obscuring his vision for just a second. Okay, so, maybe this was going to be better than watching his boyfriend draw.

Sicheng quirked an eyebrow in anticipation as Taeyong straddled him, fingers ghosting over unmarked skin. Yep. This was definitely better. He lifted his hips, showing Taeyong he was more than on board with whatever the elder was up to, eyes fluttering shut as he let Taeyong take control.

But then something cold came into contact with his skin. Something hard.

"What the fuck?"

Instead of scattering kisses across his chest, Taeyong was drawing on him in Sharpie. Eyebrows furrowed, tongue poking out of the side of his mouth as always. Sicheng always found watching him work endearing, but this wasn't exactly what he was going for tonight.

Taeyong sat back, seemingly satisfied with the quick replica ship he had sketched slap bang in the middle of Sicheng's chest.

"See."

Sicheng glanced down at the Sharpie on his skin. How the fuck had Taeyong managed to draw something that quickly? It may just be a rough sketch, but holy fuck did it look good. Maybe, maybe he could get someth-

Taeyong didn't even give him a chance to respond before he had set off on another illustration, this one on Sicheng's inner bicep. Then another on his forearm. And another on the front of his shoulder, snaking up towards his collarbones. Before he knew it, he was covered in marker pen.

"Pretty." Taeyong giggled softly to himself, a sound that was reserved for Sicheng's ears only, as he scanned over his work. It may not be permanent, but at least his boyfriend had some ink on him now.

Sicheng's line of sight followed Taeyong's, jumping from one illustration to the next. It didn't take him long to realise that was what he liked about Taeyong's tattoos so much. There was so much to look at. A colourful portrait of the David Bowie on the back on his hand leading to Rosary beads wrapping around his wrist, simple, handwritten script along his ulna bone and one of four 1950s style pin-ups he had etched into his skin, this one the entire length of his forearm. Sicheng smiled to himself as he thought about those specific tattoos, realising Taeyong had given him one of his very own. It was the reason it had taken him so long to admit his feelings to Taeyong, assuming the elder was straight due to the number of naked women he had tattooed on him.

"You realise I have brunch with my parent's tomorrow morning?"

Taeyong tutted, Sicheng was so middle class sometimes.

"How about," Taeyong leaned in, arms wrapping around the back of Sicheng's neck as he stole a kiss, "you cancel and make one of these permanent."

Sicheng laughed against Taeyong's lips as they began to move again, letting his eyes fall shut, letting himself get lost in the blonde. His arms snaked around Taeyong's waist, creeping under his sweatshirt, fingers tracing over the traditional style roses Taeyong had inked into his skin that framed the rather gruesome portrait of Jesus Christ wearing a crown of thorns, the one that took up his entire back. The one he claimed didn't even hurt that much - but Sicheng found that hard to believe.

"Well?" Taeyong pulled back from Sicheng's lips, leaving a trail of kisses along the younger's jawline, making his way down his neck, causing Sicheng to arch it, giving Taeyong more room to move.

Sicheng hummed, barely even paying attention anymore. Maybe a tattoo wouldn't be so bad – it's not like it would be shitty or something he would regret if Taeyong was doing it. The blonde was an amazing artist, Sicheng had seen enough of his work to know that. And it's not like he still believed in the stigma surrounding tattoos. His parents may not totally approve of his choice of boyfriend - Jesus Christ, the first time they met Taeyong went down like a lead balloon – but Sicheng didn't really care, he knew that Taeyong was an artist, not some delinquent. And he knew that getting a tattoo himself wouldn't automatically turn him into a delinquent either. That it would be something personal and beautiful that he could look at for the rest of his life his very own little masterpiece.

"Okay! Okay, fine! I'll let you tattoo me!"

"Really?" Taeyong's eyes lit up, sitting back slightly so he could take all of Sicheng in. he had drawn so many things on his boyfriend's arms and torso he couldn't even remember what, or figure out what would look best. "Which one do you want?"

Sicheng looked down, trying to decide. Honestly, he wouldn't be opposed to any of them, as long as it was in a place he could cover up and it looked good, which no doubt it would.

"Surprise me."

"Surprise you?" Taeyong's eyebrows shot up under his fringe. "Risky."

Sicheng shrugged. After giving Taeyong permission to mark his body for life, he was feeling rather gallant. Why not give him full artistic licence?

"I trust you."

He smiled as rose dusted Taeyong's cheeks. It took a lot to make the elder blush, but that would just about do it. He and Sicheng hadn't been together all that long. Hell, it had taken Sicheng months to admit that he didn't come into the studio every other day because he wanted a tattoo, but in fact, he just had a massive crush on Taeyong. The blonde had picked up on it on the very first day they met, during Jaehyun's session. But Taeyong being Taeyong, he let Sicheng suffer, going along with the charade until the younger finally grew the balls to kiss him.

But...he felt like maybe Sicheng was the one, if such a thing existed, and now he was trusting him with this. Sicheng picking out a random tattoo for Taeyong wouldn’t be that big of a deal – it would just get lost in between the others he had if he didn't like it. But this was Sicheng's first, and possibly only tattoo, and he was giving Taeyong free reign over what was going to be permanently imprinted in his skin forever.

If that wasn't true love, he didn't know what was.

Taeyong's lips were back on Sicheng's, he couldn't really resist them for long, anyway.

"I'm going to give you the most beautiful tattoo you've ever seen. You're gonna love it, I promise."

And he did. Sicheng was awestruck by the way the colours danced on his skin. So much so that he couldn't stop at just one. He had always scoffed when Taeyong said tattoos were addictive, but holy fuck, he wasn't kidding. Why did it take him so long to get his first one? Yeah, they hurt like a bitch, but the final outcome was so, so worth it.

Taeyong created artwork after artwork especially for him, filling the blank spaces of the canvas that was Sicheng's body with whatever his boyfriend fancied. Flowers, tigers, mermaids, daggers. Things Sicheng never in a million years thought he'd be interested in, never mind have stamped into his skin for all eternity. But Taeyong made each one of them so beautiful, so uniquely him. They just worked.

"Jesus, fuck! Tae! That hurt!"

Taeyong rolled his eyes, lifting his gun slightly so the needle was no longer in contact with Sicheng.

"This is the tiniest little tattoo ever, man up."

Sicheng whined as the needle sunk back into his skin, wanting to look away. But he couldn't. He had developed a habit of watching. No matter how painful.

He had sat through hours and hours of intense tattoos. The one on his back took weeks – proving that Taeyong was lying because it hurt like a bitch. But this tiny ten minute one on the inside of his ring finger may be a step too far.

He bit down on his bottom lip as Taeyong finished off the very last serif of the lettering.

"Done." He beamed. This wasn't his most amazing work, by any means, but it was the most significant. By far. "My turn."

"Tae, we've been over this. I'm not tattooing you."

"Oh, come on!" Taeyong pouted, switching the needle on his gun to a fresh one. "All you have to do is trace the letters. It's not that hard."

Sicheng gave him a 'bitch really?' look. Not that hard? Was Taeyong taking the piss here? Sicheng had absolutely no artistic ability and it may only be three initials, but that gun was vibrating and Sicheng was pretty sure he'd have almost no control over it and this was definitely not the kind of thing he wanted to mess up.

"Baby, there's no way you're having a shitty wedding band tattoo."

"But how romantic will it be if we tattoo each other instead of giving one another rings? Please, Chenggie? I don't care if it's a little wobbly, it'll mean so much that you do it for me."

Taeyong's bottom lip jutted out even more, eyes widening. Sicheng could never say no to that face. Especially not on their wedding day.

"Okay! Fine! But I apologise in advance if it looks terrible."

Sicheng took a deep breath, trying to steady his hand as he picked the gun up. Not that it made much difference, it was vibrating so erratically he could barely keep still. How the fuck did Taeyong make this look so easy?

"Just take it slow, but not too slow, you don't want to totally rip my hand open. There you go. See, it's not that bad, right?"

L

Sicheng tried to keep as calm as possible as he followed Taeyong's instructions. It was pretty wobbly, but it didn't look completely awful…he guessed.

S

Jesus H Christ, curved lines were even harder than straight ones. Who'd've thought?

C

Okay, that one wasn't so bad. Maybe he was getting the hang of this.

He went over the lines a couple more times, trying his best to fix them up, so it at least looked half decent. He wiped Taeyong's finger down with a piece of tissue, sitting back to admire his work. It wasn’t totally terrible, right?

"Oh my god." Taeyong gasped, holding his hand up to inspect his new ink properly. Fuck. That made Sicheng's heart skip a beat. He had totally fucked it up, hadn't he? Taeyong had spent years and thousands of pounds collecting jaw-dropping tattoos and Sicheng had fucked all of that up with his shitty tattooing.

"I love it."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah! Babe, we just got fucking married and now your name is on my skin forever. And you were the one to do it. Don’t you think that’s amazing?"

Sicheng laughed to himself, a little taken aback. Taeyong was definitely one of a kind. But he wouldn't have him any other way.

"Guess that double means you're mine forever."

"Guess it does." Taeyong smirked, plopping himself down in Sicheng's lap – his rightful throne. "I love you, Mr Lee."

Sicheng snorted, it sounded weird having a Korean surname now. But he kind of liked it. 

He pushed forwards, helping himself to a long, lingering kiss from his new husband.

"I love you too, Mr Lee."

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are always greatly appreciated!! pls let me know what u thought ♡  
> if you wanna shout at me abt anything feel free to add me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/lowkeyamen) (i am friendless) or on [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/lowkeyamen/) (where i talk all sorts of gay shit) and i also have a [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/lowkeyamen) bc, well, i am despo for attention pls love me uwu thank u xo


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